Eureka!: Small Wonders

Like a Butterfly’s Wing

The brilliant blue of this polymer comes not from pigment but
from its architecture. Look closely under a microscope and
you’ll see a repeating, geometric structure that reflects
blue light. It’s the same principle that gives color to the
wings of butterflies. UB chemist Javid
Rzayev studies the special bottlebrush-shaped molecules that
make up this material.